Highway authorities must provide mobile connectivity to their maintenance staff vehicles, security patrols or other first responders, such as police patrol cars, to ensure better service and security for motorists. There are only two options available to enable the provision of such critical communications: cellular telephones and private wireless networks. Both should be seriously considered by highway authorities.

Highway authorities must provide mobile connectivity to their maintenance staff vehicles, security patrols or other first responders, such as police patrol cars, to ensure better service and security for motorists. There are only two options available to enable the provision of such critical communications: cellular telephones and private wireless networks. Both should be seriously considered by highway authorities.

Bandwidth and Availability RequirementsTo assure high-quality yet cost-effective communications for moving vehicles, the relevant highway authority should commit itself to guarantee 5-10 Mbps of bandwidth per vehicle, regardless of any pathway limitation. In addition, reliable communications with maintenance staff vehicles, security patrols and other first responders must be available 24/7. Given that CCTV video surveillance, Wi-Fi access for staff, voice over IP (VoIP), push-to-talk over IP (PTToIP), and other critical data applications all have to be supported simultaneously, the network must deliver high performance with minimum downtime.

Outage time resulting from unpredictable traffic loads and the number of users can compromise the availability of even the best cellular network

Mobile operators can have limited or inconsistent coverage and capacity in rural areas, through which inter-urban routes pass

For critical applications such as operational CCTV or PTToIP, there is a strong need for traffic encryption and integrity, neither of which is possible using consumer devices over any cellular network

Moreover, the highway surface and other issues can often complicate the installation of communications network infrastructure in areas that are not covered properly cellular operators.

Highest Throughput with Per-Vehicle QoS GuaranteesRAD’s Airmux Mobility solution for highway staff communications, part of its Service Assured Networking (SAN) solutions portfolio for transportation systems, is an ideal alternative for such demanding scenarios. It delivers the highest throughput and guaranteed bandwidth to each vehicle. It also offers bi-directional and assymetrical bandwith with per-vehicle quality of service (QoS) guarantees. This allows critical services, such as video streaming, to be transported to and from the vehicle and control/operations centers, PTToIP and Internet connectivity even when traveling at speeds of up to 250 kph (155 mph).

Reduces Costs and RisksAirmux Mobility delivers the best-in-class radio performance and interference immunity available to base stations, be they above ground or underground. This reduces the risks and additional costs that would otherwise have to be incurred by relying on different technologies, such as Wi-Fi. The use of sub-6GHz bands reduces OpEx by eliminating licensing fees while providing the same dedicated bandwidth allocation. In addition, SLAs are delivered to each vehicle with the same or even better quality and interference immunity that could be attained with alternative radio equipment. The solution assures a fast handover time of 50ms, which allows continuous critical application transmission (for CCTV, for example) along the highway. The handover process functions independently of any central unit (controller) and all decisions are decentralized at the radio level, so there is no single point of failure.

RAD’s Airmux Mobility solution is comprised of its Airmux-5000 point-to-multipoint Ethernet radio and a fiber optic backbone based on its Megaplex-4 next generation multiservice networking platform and ETX IP and Carrier Ethernet demarcation line, together with PacketLight devices. Configuration, provisioning, monitoring, and network and end-to-end service management are provided by the RADview network management and orchestration system.

Service Assured Networking for Highways

Typical Users

Highway authorities, police and other first responders

Typical Application

High-speed mobile access for moving vehicles

Features

Control of bi-directional and assymetrical bandwith

Long-range antenna coverage between base stations

Compatible with high vehicle speeds and provides greater bandwith

Fast handover time of 50ms

Handover is independent of a central unit (not controller-based handover)

Related Products

Airmux-Mobility

Ideal for oil rigs, maritime vessels and police/patrol vehicles, Airmux-Mobility also offers a dedicated solution for rail transport. It delivers the highest throughput for on-board and train-to-track communications with guaranteed bandwidth to each railway vehicle, even on subways and monorail lines. This allows always-on communications between trains and control and operations centers for critical services such as information displays, panic buttons, PTT (push-to-talk), telemetry, ticketing machines, and video streaming.

The ETX-2 is MEF Carrier Ethernet 2.0-certified for E-Line, E-LAN, E-Tree, and E-Access services, as well as delivering TDM pseudowire over packet networks. Supporting high capacity service provisioning per EVC/EVC.CoS, flexible classification and H-QoS traffic management, it also performs accurate and scalable service testing and performance monitoring. The ETX-2 is supported by RADview management and enables a variety of protection mechanisms. It also offers NEBS-compliant and environmentally hardened enclosure options.

The Megaplex-4’s ability to handle a broad range of Ethernet, data and voice services, as well as a large variety of network technologies, in a single compact managed node, makes it an ideal solution for carriers and service providers. The device also provides a perfect fit for large enterprises, utilities and transportation companies who require an efficient way to transport and provision multiple legacy and next-generation services over their high capacity pipes. Megaplex-4 can be used as a central aggregation unit for TDM and Ethernet CPEs that are connected over various access link technologies, e.g., HSDSL and SDH/SONET.

The Megaplex-4 is available with a cable management solution to reduce storage space and handling, and eliminate cable waste.

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RAD is a global Telecom Access solutions and products vendor. RAD is a market leader of SDN/NFV network edge virtualization solutions for service providers, and cyber secure migration to packet for critical infrastructure (utilities, transportation, government). RAD is a member of the $1.3 billion RAD Group of companies.